"Tear them out of the sky," Hammerhand roared, and the Knights turned their fire upward to deliver volley after volley of rounds into the slow-moving airships and balloons.
The latter were easily punctured and perforated and immediately lost altitude, and even the armored airship was not built to sustain the kind of firepower the Knights released. Its nose inched earthward until it lost what held it in the sky and gained speed to careen toward a collision that was difficult to miss, even from a distance.
It was marked by a bright yellow explosion and pieces were flung hundreds of meters away, still in flames. Jessica13 raised her fist, unable to restrain a cheer as she realized that the sky now began to clear to display the brilliant reds and purples of the sunset.
Hammerhand raised his fist as well and bellowed something she couldn't understand in a language she had never heard before. The Knights swiftly took up his call.
The feeling of jubilation was exhilarating, and she didn't want to come down from her position at the top of the building from where she had a clear view of the flames of the last of Athena's attacks.
"Do not be afraid of them," Hammerhand roared to his followers as their voices quieted. "For they have been delivered into your hands. Your victory is your own. This is the victory that has overcome even the world and your faith has prevailed.”
The Knights responded with another roar, echoed by the local townsfolk who had come to their aid. They’d had little to offer except their bravery and ingenuity, without which the victory would not have been possible.
As the sun slid beyond the far horizon, Jessica13 caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Flashes of light flickered in the distance, probably near the bunker where Athena had established her base.
"What—" She turned to the other Knights, some of whom had already noticed it and were equally as confused and a little alarmed, as she was.
As if by an unspoken agreement, the group moved toward the top of the hill for a better view. Suggestions of movement in the distance were caught in the somewhat distorted illumination provided by the still-burning airship and the light that flickered from the far tower.
Suddenly, the light solidified with a crack that resounded across the plains. It seemed to possess an unnatural power and visibly bent the grasslands away from it in a ring that spun and arced around the tower. Jessica13 recalled seeing a similar effect from Athena's spear when they had spied on her at the church. The light from it was blinding, almost like a second sun, and painted the increasing stream of motion vividly against what had been growing darkness. The scene held an eerie quality like the impossible had been birthed by the crackling, shuddering white illumination.
The sight took Jessica13's breath away. Athena’s forces marched in what looked like synchronized formation. Entire companies of infantry to mechs were organized into square blocks and pushed across the open grasslands like legions of the Ancients.
It seemed impossible, yet there was no denying the evidence. Her mind immediately tried to find explanations, still in rebellion because she hadn’t even considered the possibility that so many people could live Outside. Had the woman gathered them from farther afield? Had she recruited from the Cities-That-Were, or were these smaller communities she’d assimilated and bullied, coerced, or wooed to her cause? How far did her power stretch to create and sustain a force of that magnitude?
Hammerhand moved ahead of the Knights, who stared at the sheer numbers that marched inexorably toward them. Victory had seemed sweet for the few moments they’d had in which to enjoy it but now, it was a little bitter. It was as if a precious promise had been stolen from them before they could take hold of it, the approaching horde a mockery of their jubilation and achievement.
Their leader, however, seemed to look beyond the main army as if to discount the ranks of Lancer mechs led by dozens of Guardians, all armed to the teeth and ready for a fight.
His gaze sought and found the one thing that hadn't been a part of their previous battles. Jessica13 knew he had expected to face Athena from the moment they had decided to turn aside from their search for Citta del Mar toward the towns that needed their help. She had wondered about the woman’s absence herself and now realized that for him, the victory must have been tainted by the knowledge that it was far from over. While the tyrant remained at large, victory would never be complete.
Her gaze finally located another massive, hulking Excalibur mech much like his, and yet not. A long, tattered cloak hung from its shoulders and a spear in its hands crackled with electricity in a mirrored replica of the tower behind it. The shimmering visage of an owl was carved into its helm.
Hammerhand stood motionless, his demeanor unreadable. It could have been either expectation or resignation and acceptance of the inevitable but either way, this was what he had waited for. He evidenced no surprise at the seemingly endless legions of Athena's men who came to a halt with one gesture from the woman herself. She stood well in advance of the rest of her army, supremely arrogant and sure of her invincibility.
"There's no way to defeat this," Jessica13 said softly.
"Do you want to hear the odds?" Mini asked.
She shook her head, her eyes irresistibly drawn to the Excalibur mech that stood on the hilltop almost three full klicks away. Her presence was such that even the distance couldn’t obscure her and she somehow seemed much closer to the gathered Knights.
For a moment
